The Opposite Of Love Is Indifference
by sizzleberrylicious
Summary: THREESHOT. James felt tears rushing up to his eyes. I can't.. I just can't. 'Obliviate' JamesxLily. COMPLETE.
1. Chapter 1

**The Opposite Of Love Is Indifference**

A fanfiction two-shot by sizzleberrylicious

Chapter One

Author's Note: **Happy Valentine's Day **to all of my beloved readers!! You can all be my valentines. ;) **I've edited this oneshot into a twoshot, so here's Part One of a two-part ficlet. Enjoy. ;)**

EDITED: Oh, dear, looks like I've added an epilogue! So The Opposite is now a three-part ficlet. Enjoy!

And a very big **THANKYOU **to **rayon.de.soleil** for pointing out to me that I had spelt all my 'Obliviate's as 'Oblivate'. Seriously, though, it wasn't my fault! Blame it all on.. wikipedia. ."

x x x x x x x x x x

"PRONGS!"

A loud voice cruelly penetrated his dream, and an annoyed James Potter groaned as his image of a scantily-clad Lily Evans faded away, blowing air kisses in his general direction. James tiredly propped himself up on his elbows, his head spinning. He blinked once, twice, trying to make out the blurred silhouette that sat directly in front of him on his bed. The draped red and gold silk hangings blocked out the rest of his Head Boy quarters from view.

"Prongs! Finally! You're awake!"

The silhouette began to talk, but then stopped short at the dazed I-just-woke-up expression plastered across James' face.

"Err.. Prongs? Prongs? Yoo hoo?"

Suddenly, a heavy pillow emblazoned with the Gryffindor crest came hurtling towards his head. James jumped, startled, and rubbed his sore spot. "Oww! Padfoot, you blithering Flobberworm! That hurt!"

His vision cleared, and as he expected, he came face-to-face with a grinning Sirius Black.

"Ahh, brilliant, you're awake! Take it like a man, Prongs," Sirius said, solemnly, dramatically placing his hand over his heart and staring up at the intricately-carved canopy above them.

Seeing his chance, James grabbed a heavily-embroidered pillow and thwacked Sirius around the head with it.

Sirius spluttered, huffing. "Prongs, what in Merlin's name have I ever done to you?"

"Take it like a man, Padfoot," James mimicked, grinning.

The hangings were pushed aside as Remus Lupin poked his head through.

"What's all this yelling about?"

Sirius put on his infamously adorable puppy face, his sad, sparkling onyx eyes widening and his mouth forming a full pout.

"Auntie Remus! Auntie Remus! James hit me with a pillow!"

Peter Pettigrew, who had slipped in next to Remus, looked baffled.

Remus let a laugh slip out before frowning disapprovingly at a sheepishly smiling James.

"Now, now, children," he scolded. "Play nice, or Auntie Remus will have to send you to Mr. Corner for a beating!"

The gang cracked up laughing, Sirius nearly toppling off the bed in the process.

After they'd calmed down, Remus turned to James. "Dumbledore wants to see you in his office, Prongs. Better get a move on, it sounded urgent."

Peter's watery blue eyes widened. "Do you think he found out about our prank in the green houses yesterday? Are we in trouble?"

Sirius waved his hand around nonchalantly, "As if. All we did was shrink Sprout's precious green house number five."

"Yeah. Dumbledore didn't scold us for blowing up the entire east wing.. twice," James shrugged his broad shoulders. "Why should he lift a finger for this?"

"As a prefect, I should be deducting points and issuing detentions," Remus pondered. Then, he broke into a grin. "But, heck, the Head Boy's doing it."

"Everyone expected Remus to bag that position," Peter piped up. "James wasn't even a prefect to begin with!"

"Dumbledore has his reasons, I'm sure," Remus stated.

James jumped out of bed and made his way towards the door. "I'm going to go and see Dumbledore now."

Sirius stifled a laugh. "We'll follow you, mate. But you might want to put on some clothes, first."

x x x x x x x x x x

"Headmaster? You called for me?" James inquired as he walked into Dumbledore's circular office. Remus, Sirius, and Peter trailed in behind him. The stiff-backed occupants of the large oil paintings that covered the walls tsked in disgrace at James' unruly jet black hair and untidy uniform. The odd assortment of tinkling silver instruments that littered a long, rickety table whistled and danced. Albus Dumbledore himself sat at his large desk in the middle of the room, smiling warmly at his students.

"Yes, I did, Mister Potter," he said, his voice slightly raspy from age. His eyes twinkled. "Take a seat, please. That includes you three, Mister Black, Mister Lupin, and Mister Pettigrew," he added when only James made a move to sit. He swished his wand and extra armchairs appeared, all crowded around the Headmaster's desk.

Dumbledore extended a pale hand wrapped in purple robes, holding out a crystal container filled with small yellow sweets wrapped in cellophane. "Lemon drop?"

Peter quickly reached forward and grabbed a few. "Thanks, Headmaster."

Dumbledore raised his eyebrows at the other three.

"Oh, no thank you, Headmaster. I'm having breakfast later," Remus declined politely. James and Sirius shook their heads in unison.

Smiling, Dumbledore kept the sweets and rested his chin on his intertwined fingers, propping his elbows up on the table. He stared at James, his expression turning serious.

"Mister Potter," he began, "Do you have any idea why I called you here on this fine October morning?"

"No, sir."

Dumbledore's features softened. "I have knowledge of information that you should know of, Mister Potter. Information that involves a certain redheaded sweetheart of yours. Miss Evans, I believe?"

James turned tomato red.

"Yes, Lily," Sirius answered for him, seeing that his best friend was at a current lost for words.

"Is something.. wrong, Headmaster?" James asked after several moments of silence. Dumbledore shook his head, his expression grave.

"No, Mister Potter. Not during our phase of time, at least."

The Marauders exchanged glances. What was Dumbledore on about?

"Mister Potter.. I ask of you to keep secret what I am about to tell you," Dumbledore said. "And, if you entrust your friends here to do the same, they make listen, too. You may.. need the company, Mister Potter."

James blinked. _What?_

"Er, of course I trust my friends, sir. And I promise I won't breathe a word to anyone else."

Dumbledore smiled again. But this time, it was slightly eerie, hollow. Just a draft of his usually mirthful smile.

"Mister Potter, I have spies everywhere on the look out for Voldemort," he began. Peter nearly fainted at the mention of the Dark Lord's name, but quickly regained his composure. "In Hogwarts, outside of Hogwarts, even in the muggle world. We never know when he might decide to strike. I have common knowledge that he is gathering and preparing an empire of Death Eaters, slaves to the Dark Lord, branded with the Dark Mark, destined to do his bidding until Death claims their souls."

James nervously bit his lip. What did all this have to do with him? Or Lily, for that matter?

"I've had news from one of my spies, Mister Potter," Dumbledore stared at him. "And that particular spy was from the future. Mister Potter, he had risked his life to warn me of the dangers that lay ahead of your journey."

"What dangers, Headmaster?" Remus inquired, curiously.

"Mister Lupin, the future is a very complex form of reality," Dumbledore stated. "If we so much as step on a bug, we could alter the future. We could make drastic, irreversible changes that could harm our loved ones.

"Dealing with the future is very dangerous. By telling you this information, you will alter the course of the universe. But my spy believes that it is for the better, so I entrust you to do what you think right."

_Uh oh_, James thought. _This is way to serious for my taste_.

"Mister Potter, in the future, you and Miss Evans are joined together in holy matrimony."

James grinned like a loon at that, picturing him and Lily raising a house full of intellectual James Junior's.

"You have a baby boy, named Harry James Potter," Dumbledore continued, a look of interest sparked in his eyes as he observed James' goofy expression.

_Oh, well, close enough_, James thought, sighing mentally. _What kind of name is HARRY, though?! I must talk to Lily about her choice of names. Eeuch. Harry?! Poor kid._

"And that is where the tragedy begins."

James' grin instantly dropped.

"After Miss Evans - sorry, Mrs. Potter - gave birth to Harry, unknown to the both of you, a prophecy was created," Dumbledore exhaled and adjusted his half-moon spectacles before continuing. "In that prophency, it stated that two bodies were given life, their purpose to destroy Lord Voldemort, who will be the cause of more and more attacks on muggles and wizards alike. Those two were born as the month of July dies, to parents who have escaped the Dark Lord thrice. The prophecy states that only one of them will go on to defeat him."

_Oh, no.._

"One of those two souls belongs to Harry James Potter," Dumbledore said after several tense moments. James shut his eyes and winced. His future son was in potential danger from one of the most dangerous wizards of all time. Great. Dumbledore cleared his throat before continuing. "Oddly enough, Lord Voldemort chose little baby Harry as the chosen one, for he saw him as a larger threat compared to his contemporary. As the prophecy told, the chosen one will defeat Lord Voldemort for he has powers that the Dark Lord knows not. The prophecy also stated that either will succeed, for neither can live while the other survives."

"Voldemort found out about that prophecy and about Harry. So, he set out to kill him, on October 31, Halloween Day, 1981."

A cold shiver passed through James, but he brushed it off, staring imploringly at Dumbledore.

"Both you and Mrs. Potter shared a very strong bond with Harry," Dumbledore massaged his temples. "So, when Voldemort himself entered your house to kill your baby, you stood in the way, and he killed you immediately. Mrs. Potter had wisely brought the baby upstairs, but Voldemort found her. She had stood her ground in front of her child and shielded him. Voldemort had asked her to move aside, for he would spare her if she would just give up the baby. Dear Lily refused to budge, so Voldemort killed her. But when he tried to kill one month-old Harry.. something strange happened."

"What? What?" Peter squeaked, eager to listen to the rest of his story. Sirius smacked him upside his head and told him to shut up.

"His _Avada Kedavra_ backfired and had barely harmed Harry, only leaving him with a lightning bolt-shaped scar on his forehead. Voldemort, on the other hand, had been drained of all his powers, nearly dead and without physical form. Apparently, Lily's strong bond with Harry and her willingness to give up her life to protect her child had formed a sort of inpenetrable bubble around Harry. His mother's love had saved him."

The four youths stared on in awe, star struck. _Wow.._

"But, Mister Potter, my spy informed me that it'd be better for all that to not have happened, of course," Dumbledore said, quickly. "For in the future, after Harry has grown up, he is forced to fight a bloody battle with Voldemort, and faced death."

Peter let out a small gasp before passing out, slumping into a heap in his seat. Everybody ignored him.

"So.. what do I have to do, Headmaster?" James inquired.

"Mister Potter, I have to ask you to obliviate all of Miss Evan's memory that involves falling in love with you, therefore erasing any hopes of you two being involved in a relationship after Hogwarts."

James' jaw dropped to around his knees. So did everyone else's.

"B-but.. but, Headmaster! That.. That..," James stuttered, shocked to the bone.

"I'm sorry, Mister Potter, but you must alter the future to ensure a different path be taken, hopefully a more successful one."

James blanched. "But what if I don't marry her?"

Dumbledore smiled sadly. "Can you trust yourself to do that, Mister Potter?"

_No_.

James squeezed his eyes shut tight. He felt like his heart was being ripped out of his chest and stepped on repeatedly. He couldn't just abuse Lily like that! It wasn't fair!

"Is there no other way, Headmaster?" Remus asked quietly. His eyes were trained on his hands, which were clasped together in his lap.

"No, Mister Lupin."

James felt hopeless. The ever famous Gryffindor courage began to manifest itself in his soul, and then he knew that he had to save his future son, and the future Mr. and Mrs. Potter.

He looked at Dumbledore with a grimace. "Very well, Headmaster. I'll do it."

-----

KNOCK KNOCK KNOCK.

"Come in," called Lily as she pushed her textbooks aside. The tall oak door opened, revealing a rather upset James Potter. Lily frowned and walked up to him.

"James? Are you alright?"

James flashed her the trademark Potter smile. "Of course, Lils. You know you always make me feel better."

"You looked pretty upset for the moment," Lily noted, knitting he eyebrows together. "Are you sure?"

"Yeah, I'm just dandy," James grinned. "So.. What've you been up to lately?"

Lily quirked an eyebrow. "James, I saw you last night, and I just woke up. Therefore, you were with me during whatever thing I was doing last night - which was talking, mind you."

James gave her a lopsided grin. "Heh. I knew that."

"I'm sure you did, James."

Suddenly, James' expression turned serious. "Lils.. Lily. I.. I need to let you know something.. important."

Lily's pulse quickened. _His voice is cracking! Is he going to.. cry? Oh, dear. I have no idea what I'd do if James Potter cried in my bedroom._

"Yes, James?"

James inhaled deeply and sighed. "Lily.. I need you to know that I love you very, very much."

Lily furrowed her brows in confusion. "I know that, James."

"And.. That I'd do anything to protect you."

_Err.._

"You have to understand, Lily, I'd throw my life away if it meant being able to save you."

Lily felt her heart melt into a puddle at James' dulcet tones. "Aww, James. That's so sweet."

James smiled sheepishly before gently brushing his lips against hers. Thus began an engaging battle of lips, teeth, and tongue that lasted too long.

When their supply of oxygen had long since disappeared, they broke apart, lips swollen, hair tousled.

"I love you, Lily Evans."

"I love you too, James Potter."

_And that's all I needed to hear_, James thought sadly as he spread his arms, enveloping Lily in a hug. He closed his eyes and buried his nose into her thick, luscious auburn hair, breathing in her cinnamon and vanilla scent. He sighed, wrapping his arms around her tighter. Lily rested her head on his shoulder, smiling.

_I'd better enjoy the moment.. This is the last embrace we'll ever share_, James thought ruefully.

After several silent minutes, James pulled back, kissing the tip of Lily's nose and smiling down at her. His deep hazel eyes started to glaze over.

"James..?"

"Goodbye, Lily," he whispered hoarsely. "I promise you, I'll always remember you."

In a flash, he was gone, leaving a confused Lily Evans behind.

-----

Silently, James crept into Lily's room, the slight sounds of her soft snoring guiding him to her bedside. The day had hurtled past, going all to fast for James. With each passing second, he'd be one step closer to oblivating Lily's memory of him. _Forever_.

It was way past midnight, and Lily had been long asleep. James had waited outside in the Head Commons, patiently counting the minutes. When he was sure that she was asleep, he had snuck inside, his grip on his wand tight.

He stood, towering over her. There she was, in all her fragile, semi conscious glory. Her sparkling emerald eyes were hidden behind pale sleepy eyelids, fringed with long, thick lashes. A porcelain complexion stood out, creamy and smooth to the touch. _His_ touch. Haywire auburn curls, spread out messily around her head like an aura. Rose coloured lips, parted slightly, screamed for attention. James made a move to bend down and kiss her, submitting to her wishes, but caught himself just in time.

_Now, now, Prongs.. Don't give yourself away.._, he hastily reminded himself, removing his wand from his robes. _You can do it, Prongs.. Nothing to it.._

James stared down at her, his heart demanding he procrastinate the moment when-

"..James?"

_Shit_.

-----

Safe and warm below layers of goose-feathered duvets, James lay stock still, Lily snuggling up next to him. He can't believe he had convinced Lily that he was afraid of the dark. _That woman must be so sleepy, she's not right in the head_.

"You can sleep here with me if it makes you feel better," he remembered her telling him, a dreamy smile and hooded eyelids proving that she was still running amongst the lollipop trees in La La Dreamland.

James had reluctantly climbed in, repeatedly whacking himself over the head mentally for complicating his situation and creating a major predicament. How was he going to explain to a post-memory obliviated Lily what he was doing in her bed?

He propped himself up on one arm, watching Lily was she hugged a fluffy white pillow to her chest. She started to mumble incoherently, smiling.

James got that heart-ripping feeling again.

_I must.. I must.._

Slowly, drenched in a despondent feeling from head to toe, he raised his wand, levelling it steadily at Lily's sleeping form. He grimaced.

_I can't just flaw her sanity by erasing some of her most intimate moments of her life.. Can I?_

Closing his eyes, he saw flashes of his most cherished memories, reeling in at a train-wrecking dangerous speed. There was Lily and him, him chasing her with outstretched arms as she ran through the piles of crisp, colourful Autumn leaves, screaming herself hoarse. He had caught her in the end, whisking her up into her arms, the both of them laughing so hard they were both flushed silly. Then, there was Lily and him again, tossing snowballs at each other, building a snowman. _She looked so adorable in those mittens and that- Don't stray, Potter!_ After that, a scene of them snuggled together in front of a blazing orange fireplace on the thick, fitted Gryffindor carpet, sipping hot cocoa and laughing at nothing.

James felt tears rushing up to his eyes. _I can't.._

_I just can't._

"_Obliviate_!"

----------

Disclaimer: I do not own anything related to the Harry Potter world. Please, leave me alone now. .. No, really. Shoo.

Author's Note: Schniff. Uhm.. This is actually Part One of my twoshot, so continue on to Part Two for a big surprise:) Ahaha. Well, I hope you all enjoyed reading Part One! Drop me a review, thanks! Once again, a happy Valentine's Day to everyone. I hope everyone receives their fair share of heart-shaped chocolates and red red roses:) Ttfn, su yin. xx


	2. Chapter 2

**The Opposite Of Love Is Indifference**

A fanfiction two-shot by sizzleberrylicious

Part Two

x x x x x x x x x x

"Oi, Prongs! Hurry up, or we'll be late for class!" Sirius shouted from the top of the marble stairs. Remus and Peter stood behind him, Peter nearly falling over from the amount of books he was carrying. James, who was just exiting the Great Hall, glanced up at them, grinning.

"Coming, Padfoot!"

He rushed forward, eager to take the steps three at a time, but then-

CRASH.

Sirius' grin immediately fell when he realized who James had bumped into. Remus winced and Peter fell over backwards, his books scattering around him in a mess that would send Filch on a one-way trip to St. Mungo's. The same thought travelled through all their heads at once. _Uh oh_.

James grimaced, rubbing his head. It hurt and everything seemed to be spinning in circles. And what was that funny, _warm_ weight on top of him...?

"Ouf," came a muffled protest from somewhere atop him. He blinked. His vision was all funny... everything was moving, dividing and flying!

"Lily?" he asked, baffled. He grinned, flashing her with his signature Potter smile. "I knew you just couldn't keep your hands off me."

The surprised redhead immediately jumped up, blushing, and bent down to gather her fallen books and parchments, not bothering to help him up. Glaring down at an euphoric James, she snapped lasciviously, "You're just so full of yourself, Potter! Why would I ever be interested in _you_ of all people? With your inflated ego and unruly appearances... Humpf. I'd rather be seen with the Whomping Willow, Potter. And. You're. Very. Well. Aware. Of. That," Lily snorted, enunciating each word with as much venom as she could muster. Finished with her tirade, Lily made a move to leave.

_Ouch_. James' grin disappeared and Lily immediately regretted her words, knowing full well how much they pierced him. _No, James... That's not what I think... If only you knew..._

"Err, Prongs? Time to go, Prongs!" Sirius called, sensing a disturbance in the Force. He shot Lily a rueful smile, "Lovely bumping into you, Miss Evans, but we really have to get going now. Up, Prongs! Up!"

James hastily pushed himself up, adjusting his glasses, grinning lopsidedly at a supposedly fuming Lily. "Go out with me, Lils?"

Lily took a sharp intake of breath. She felt like a shard of broken glass was being pressed into her heart. The feeling was excruciating. After a quick moment, she regained her composure and glared at him, her bright emerald eyes becoming thin slits. "Only in your dreams, Potter."

James' grin fell a notch. "Then I'll just keep dreaming, Lily."

Lily and the other Marauders each felt an unidentifiable feeling at James' continuous flirting.

"Jaaameees," sang Sirius, quickly. "Time to goooo!"

James stole one last glance at Lily, grinning. "See you later, Lily!" he called before running to join his friends.

x x x x x x x x x x

"I just don't understand, guys," James frowned as their feet led them towards the dungeons. "Lily just seems to hate my guts. I'll never go out with her at this rate."

Remus smiled sympathetically. "Believe me, James. It's not you."

James looked skeptical. "What, Moony?"

"Nothing, nothing," Sirius quickly interjected. "Moony's just being his usual, optimistic self, eh, Moony? Full moon coming and all... Gotta be in top spirits!"

Remus simply smiled helplessly.

"But, really," James continued. "I just feel like... like we have this kind of... connection, you know? Do you think Lils and I were together in a previous life, perhaps? Reincarnated love and all that."

"Bah, I don't believe in all that, Prongs," Sirius said, nervously, laughing way too loud. Peter shot him a funny look from behind his stack of books. "Besides, it's not like we practice Buddhism or anything... right? Right, Moony?"

Remus sighed. "No, Padfoot, but I'll inform you when we do."

The gang laughed nervously, a rather forced squeak emitting from an abused Peter, as they descended the stone steps to the dungeons.

_If only you knew, James... If only you knew._

x x x x x x x x x x

"... And so, the properties of Bloomslang - oh, Minerva! What can I do for you?" Professor Slughorn stopped short his tedious Potions lecture when the door to the dungeons creaked open, revealing a rather flustered-looking Professor McGonagall.

"A word, please, Horace," McGonagall muttered as she swept up to the front of the class. The petulant professor turned her attention to the dozens of hooded eyes staring back at her. "Mister Black, Mister Lupin, Mister Pettigrew and Miss Evans, please report to the Headmaster's office immediately. Professor Dumbledore would like to see you as soon as possible."

Frowning, Remus gathered his books up. Sirius turned to James with an apologetic smile. "Sorry, Prongs. We'll see you during dinner, all right?"

Nodding her goodbye to Professor Slughorn, McGonagall turned swiftly on her heels and marched back out the door, the four confused teenagers lagging behind her.

"What do you think Dumbledore wants to see us about?" Peter squeaked quietly, scrambling to keep up with the group as they weaved their way through the empty corridors. Sirius' eyes darkened, if that was even possible.

"I think I have a good idea why."

Lily bit her lip. "Do you think...?"

Remus' face turned ashen. "Yes."

x x x x x x x x x x

"Ahh... I've been expecting you lot," Dumbledore greeted them as they all tumbled rather noisily into his office. Sirius, Remus and Peter took their time to slowly lever themselves up, whereas Lily quickly shot to her feet and dusted off her robes, smiling meekly.

"Yes, Headmaster?"

"I take it you are handling your... situation well," Dumbledore continued while motioning for them to sit. "It's been three months since the day I informed Mister Potter of the duties he had to carry out to ensure harmony in the wizarding world of the future. But, instead of strictly following orders, dear Mister Potter decided to obliviate himself instead, to save Miss Evans here from losing some of her most precious memories."

Lily blushed, twiddling her thumbs subconsciously in her lap as she zeroed in on Dumbledore's speech. _This has to be important..._

"Ergo, Mister Potter has lost all memory of his courtship with Miss Evans. Now, I have heard some... rumours, that Mister Potter is rather smitten with Miss Evans. Is this true?" Dumbledore's kind blue eyes bore into them questioningly.

Lily stuttered. "Err..."

"Yes, Headmaster, that is true," Remus answered, smiling sadly. "He tends to go a bit... crazed whenever she is within ten feet."

Dumbledore smiled knowingly. "I would have thought so. It seems that when Mister Potter performed the Obliviate Charm on himself, his mind was occupied with other thoughts, such as Miss Evans, for example. Therefore, the spell might have not fully erased Mister Potter's lust."

"Oh, my...," Lily muttered, her eyes dropping to stare fancifully at her fingernails.

"Well, if we simply keep to our current routine, rest assured that Mister Potter will, eventually, move on."

Lily's head shot up to stare at the Headmaster in sorrow. _He'll move on... Eventually? But... Hasn't he already?_

"That is all I called you here for," Dumbledore stated, stroking the soft feather plumes of Fawkes' tail. Fawkes let out a small gurgle of delight.

Lily, Sirius, Remus and Peter made a move to leave, but were stopped short. "Oh, no, one more thing before you go," Dumbledore said. The teenagers looked on, startled, as they sat down again.

"Mister Black, Mister Lupin, Mister Pettigrew," he addressed the guys. "Can you recall the... spy I informed you about during our first meeting of this subject? The spy from the future?"

"Yes, Headmaster," Peter chimed in, nodding his mousey blond hair profusely.

"Have you ever wondered who that spy was?"

There was silence.

It was true; there had been often times when their minds would wander over to the mysterious spy, wondering about his identity. Did they know him? Was he currently in Hogwarts? Was he a friend or foe?

"Yes, Headmaster, I have wondered more than once...," Remus stated, bringing his thin fingers up to his temple in wonder.

"I shall reveal to you all who that mysterious helper is," Dumbledore continued.

Sirius leaned forward in his seat, anticipating the knowledge of who the mystery spy was.

Lily pressed her back further into the soft velvet of the armchair, worried.

Remus tilted his head to one side, still pondering over the possible candidates.

Peter simply stared. Openly. With his mouth hanging open.

"That mystery spy is no other than...," Dumbledore paused for effect.

All four teenagers held their breath.

The cornucopia of tension that surrounded them was thick enough to cut with a knife.

"... Sirius Black."

x x x x x x x x x x

Disclaimer: I do not own Harry Potter!! Really, can't you all just get that fixed in your head?

Author's Note: Ahaha! A twist in the plot, my readers!! I hope you all enjoyed reading that. :) I thought it would be cool if Sirius was the spy, don'tcha think? Just imagine what the poor dude's going through now, realising that he was the spy! Haha. Well, I have to go now. Tuition and all. Pouf. Drop me reviews, people! Thankyouuus! Ttfn, su yin. xx


	3. Chapter 3

**The Opposite Of Love Is Indifference**

A fanfiction three-shot by sizzleberrylicious

Part Three

x x x x x x x x x x

On the shores of a faraway island stood a small, ram shackled house, it's solid walls of stone strong against the harsh winds and sea spray. The sun was just setting, spreading its warm orange glow around the sandy water edges and across the small abode.

Inside this tumbledown home lived a plump young boy, his stringy hair tousled as he stared out the open window at the array of boats that were docking. He let out a sigh, resting a chubby cheek on his wrist, wishing with all his might that he could just escape from his prison and enter a whole new world, beyond how far the eye could see over the watery horizon.

"Where are you, boy?!" came a harsh yell from somewhere inside the house. The boy jumped, breaking out of his wistful reverie, and turned around to face a stout old woman whose grey hair was hidden beneath a pointed hat supporting a stuffed falcon. She waved her handbag in front of his scared face and scowled, revealing rows of yellowed teeth. The other children on the island always jeered about his grandmother's choice of attire, claiming him and his grandmother the dubious honor of being the jests of the island, ostracizing him. "Stop dreaming, boy, and get to work on the dishes! You useless piece of filth, I'll never understand why your parents gave birth to the likes of you!" she shrieked, pointing a bony finger at the pile of dishes that were piling up inside the sink.

"S - sorry, Gran," he managed to utter as he quickly scrambled towards the sink. Suddenly, his foot came in contact with something lumpy and slimy on the floor, causing him to fly forward and crash into the opposite wall. "Trevor!" he gasped, watching as his pet toad hopped under the table.

"You useless boy! Get to work!" his grandmother began to yell again. Nodding fervently, the poor boy made his away around the cluttered furniture, inadvertently knocking over a foot stool in the process. He was about to reach for the grimy tap when suddenly, the front door to the house burst open and a gust of wind knocked him to the floor.

Blinking and clutching his throbbing head, he heard heavy footsteps advancing on him. He gasped. Was his grandmother going to give him a beating for not locking the door securely?

Bracing himself for the burning lash of the whip he knew all too well, he was surprised when a gentle hand rested on his shoulder instead. He blinked his eyes open and scrambled backwards when he came face to face with the thin face of an elderly woman, her graying brown hair pulled back into a tight bun.

"Neville Longbottom?" she asked curtly, extending a hand to help him up. He placed his clammy hand in hers and hoisted himself up, not able to take his eyes of the woman before him.

"Y - yes," Neville responded. "W - who are you?"

"Minerva McGonagall," the lady replied, straightening her long black robes. She adjusted the tiny glasses that were perched on the tip of her nose as she stared down at him. Neville noted her strange attire with "Mister Longbottom, I come from a magical institution in Great Britain, and it is my honor to announce that you have been selected to enroll at Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"Minerva!" came a shriek. Neville gasped when he remembered that his grandmother was still in the room, her hat askew and her eyes bulging. "How - how dare you!"

"Augusta," McGonagall nodded curtly in her direction, though Neville could see her sharp eyes frosting over. He immediately sensed that this woman wasn't someone to tolerate nonsense. "It's been too long."

"H - how dare you even think about coming here!" Augusta shrieked, pointing a finger menacingly at her. "You have n - no right to inform my grandson of all this.. this jargon!"

"Jargon, Augusta?" McGonagall questioned, raising an eyebrow. "I see you haven't changed a bit since your school days, then."

She turned her attention back to a confused and surprised Neville. He had been accepted into a school away from here! A _magical_ school! For wizards and witches! He could escape his deranged grandmother! He was free! His eyes glazed over with happiness.

"Mister Longbottom, term begins September 1st, therefore I expect to see you ready with all your school supplies and boarding the Hogwarts Express at exactly 11 o'clock in the morning," McGonagall informed him. "And from now on, you shall refer to me as Professor McGonagall, as will your contemporaries, to show respect to your teachers."

"Minerva, don't you dare - ," Augusta began again, her face contorted in rage. "He won't attend! I shan't let him! He shan't - !"

McGonagall released a frustrated sigh. "Augusta, Neville has been enrolled since birth, and there is nothing you can do to change that."

"You witch! You - you - ," Augusta began, spitting.

"Mister Longbottom, your grandmother, Augusta Longbottom, attended Hogwarts as well," McGonagall stated, issuing a querulous shriek from the woman in question. "Of course, she left the school with too many a bitter memory."

Neville gaped, his jaw dropped to the dusty floors. "Gran was a.. a witch?"

"That is correct, Mister Longbottom," McGonagall answered, throwing Augusta a discreetly victorious look. "She was, indeed, a witch."

"Minerva! You! You have no.. no right to fill my useless grandson's head with all that nonsense!" Augusta ranted. "All that rubbish! All those lies! No! Minerva! You - !"

"Augusta, you have been abusing your grandson all those years he was under your care," McGonagall countered, her mouth set in a disapproving frown. Her eyes momentarily flitted over the whip marks that covered Neville's arms before turning her attention to his raving grandmother. "You are too proud for a grandson whom, according to you, is useless. Neville is a very talented boy who can go very far, and could have gone farther had it not been for your abuse. Frank and Alicewould be very disappointed with you."

Neville gasped. "Y - you know about my parents?"

"Yes, I do, Mister Longbottom. It grieves me that two wonderful wizards were forced into such a state."

"My parents were.. magical too?" Neville's eyes grew wide with astonishment.

"Yes, they _are_, Mister Longbottom," McGonagall shot Augusta a frown. "And they are alive, as well."

Neville felt his head go dizzy. "My parents? Are.. alive?"

"They are in St Mungo's, a hospital for magical maladies. They were tortured into an endless coma, Mister Longbottom." McGonagall rested a comforting hand on his shoulder before continuing. "They'll never wake up."

Neville was silent, contemplating all the details that were just thrust upon him.

"You may see them, Mister Longbottom, if you wish," McGonagall added, withdrawing her hand. "Although I warn you - they won't be able to recall who you are."

"That's enough, Minerva!" Augusta yelled, thrashing about. "Stop it at once! He doesn't deserve to know all this, the useless boy!"

"Mister Longbottom, you are a very gifted child," McGonagall pressed on, ignoring Augusta's furious tirade. "In the wizarding world, you will be known as the Boy Who Lived, the Chosen One, the boy who will lead the wizarding world to victory against Lord Voldemort, a very powerful wizard on the brink of eradicating all half-bloods and Muggles; non-wizarding people, as we like to call them."

Neville stared on in awe. "I'm.. I'm special?"

McGonagall gave him a small smile, letting down her stern facade for just a moment. In the distance, a tropical bird began to chirp its song, which resembled Neville's rush of emotion.

"Yes, Mister Longbottom, you certainly are."

FIN.

x x x x x x x x x x

Disclaimer: Not mine.

Author's Note: Alright! Finally! I'm wrapping up The Opposite once and for all. Just thought it'd need a good epilogue. Not that important, really, but still. It confirms the fact that James and Lily never did get together, so Harry was never born, so Neville is the Boy Wonder. I hope you all enjoyed this three-shot. Click that little blue button to submit a review, I'd love to hear your feedback! Ttfn, su yin. xx


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